I had had the traverse of this ridge of 7 hills in mind for a while, so when my dad offered to accompany me for the first 3, which he had not climbed, and then pick me up at the end, I jumped at the chance. And not just to avoid the long walk back I might otherwise have been stuck with.

Starting walking at 06.15, we made good time up Meall Greigh, plunging into a freezing cloud which made for pretty ice-sculptures of grass and fences, as well as pleasent walking. We continued along to Meall Garbh, and then had what I found a pleasent short scramble up An Stuc (some loose stones underfoot, but mostly path-like with lots of stuff to grab on to, some of which were quite nice thin flakes of rock).

At the bealach we parted company, and I continued on slogging up a pleasant ridge to Ben Lawers itself. After meeting the day's first groups of other walkers, I went on in enduring cloud to Beinn Ghlas. The sun continued to make its presence felt, and by the time I made my 'interesting' way up Meall Corranaich (glad to not be in the visible pack of 12 walkers going up the Lawers path) there were some hints of blue through the swirling whiteness. As I left a family behind on the summit and wandered along the long ridge connecting the hill to Meall a'Choire Leith, the sun was increasingly hot, and the cloud cleared away to reward me with some views, including the top of Ben Lawers from which I had earlier seen nothing.

I arrived back at the road after 7.5 hours of walking (18.8km, 2055m), rather chuffed at a satisfying day.

(Some pictures are my father's).